Chelsea top target Luka Jović apparently still available, for €100m

According to one of the countless Spanish news programs who claim to have all the latest and greatest in-the-know transfer news, Real Madrid have decided to abandon their plans to sign Luka Jović. Is this the same outlet who claimed the transfer was all but done? Who knows. Probably wouldn’t matter. (UPDATE: Apparently that was Sky Deutschland.)

In any case, the apparent reason for the change of heart is Eintracht Frankfurt staunch, Chelsea-esque refusal to do business at anything less than €100m. Real Madrid may be able to afford one such outrageous transfer (that’s you, Eden!), but probably not two.

Despite his goals against Chelsea — checkmark! — Jović and Frankfurt finished their season on a poor note, with just two points from their last six games, included losses of 6-1 and 5-1, to drop out of the Bundesliga’s European places and into a seventh place finish. Jović himself managed just 5 goals in the second half of the season after leading the BuLi with 12 before the winter break. He did score 10 in the Europa League however, and remains the competition’s top scorer alongside Olivier Giroud.

The 21-year-old has garnered interest from all the top sides around Europe with his 27-goal-and-7-assist season, and Real Madrid looked to have won the chase. But apparently Jović remains available.

He has been one of the very few names strong-ish-ly linked with Chelsea. So what will we do — if we are allowed to?